Football: Pitt's third-down conversions a major factor in Rutgers win

While the Pitt football team had plenty of sloppy moments in its 24-17 win last Friday at Rutgers, there were also some things the Panthers excelled at, helping them improve to 6-1 and 3-0 in the Big East.

One such aspect of the game was third-down conversions. The Panthers converted 10-of-17 third downs and allowed Rutgers to go just 5-15 on third-down attempts.

“That is not like us,” Rutgers coach Greg Sciano said after the loss. “We got to [Pitt quarterback Bill Stull] a few times and hit him, but he was still able to get the ball off. When we went straight four-man rush he was able to scramble. I think he scrambled for two or three first downs. We have to be able to get off the field on third down.”

The Panthers had 11 total drives and had at least one third down on nine of those drives. In those nine drives, the Panthers scored three times, totaling 17 points, and on two drives got into scoring position only for kicker Dan Hutchins to miss field goals.

On the first drive of the game, the Panthers faced a third-and-9 from the Rutgers 37-yard line but kept the drive going, thanks to a 10-yard completion from Stull to tight end Dorin Dickerson. Two plays later Stull and Dickerson connected again for a 7-yard touchdown to tie the game at seven.

The Panthers faced two third downs on their opening drive of the second quarter on their way to a 45-yard field goal by Hutchins. The first was a 14-yard pass from Stull to Cedric McGee on a third-and-5, and the next was a third-and-8 where Stull threw an incomplete pass, and Pitt had to settle for the field goal and 10-7 lead.

Later in the third, Stull connected with freshman Mike Shanahan for a 15-yard gain on a third-and-7 to keep a drive going until Dion Lewis scored from 1 yard out to give the Panthers a 17-7 advantage.

Not only did converting all those third downs extend Pitt drives that eventually led to scores, it also helped Pitt hold onto the ball and keep its defense of the field. The Panthers finished the game with 33:46 time of possession compared to Rutgers’ 26:14.

Converting so many third-down conversions allowed Pitt to hold onto the ball longer and extend drives, making it an essential factor for Pitt’s victory.

“We have to be able to run the ball,” Wannstedt said after the win, adding that the running game is Pitt’s “lifeline.”